The invention relates to an operator control system for a vehicle.
German Patent Document DE 197 52 056 A1 discloses an operator control system for controlling a screen display in which operator control functions displayed on a visual display unit can be subjected to operator control by a manual operating means associated with the visual display unit. The components are spatially separated from one another in the vehicle, and no further manual operating means are provided for subjecting the displayed operator control function to operator control.
German Patent Document DE 36 11 358 A1 discloses a visual display unit which is designed in the form of a contact area, and has at least one proximity sensor that is arranged in the edge region and serves for manual operation of a displayed operator control function. The proximity sensor senses when an object (for example, a finger) approaches the visual display unit, and initiates an operator control function which is associated with the region of the display unit approached. The visual display unit and the manual operating means in the form of the at least one proximity sensor are designed in the form of a “touch screen”.
One object of the invention is to provide an improved operator control system for a vehicle, which system makes operator control easier.
This and other objects and advantage are achieved by the operator control system according to the invention, which includes a central manual operating device which is associated with a visual display unit and can be used by the operator to control a plurality of operator control functions that can be displayed on the visual display unit. According to the invention, at least one further manual operating device is permanently associated with an operator control function, and at least one sensor is provided to detect when an object (for example, a hand of the user) approaches the further operating device. The operator control function, which is associated with the further manual operating device, is displayed on the visual display unit after the approach to an further manual operating means is sensed.
The displayed function can now advantageously be controlled by the operator using the manual operating device associated with the visual display unit and/or the at least one further manual operating means, in a redundant manner.
In addition, not only the operator control function associated with the further manual operating means, but also other functions that belong to such operator control function, can be controlled by the operator using central operating device associated with the display unit. It is of course also possible that only the operator control function associated with the at least one further operating device is subjected to operator control.
The operator control functions are preferably displayed on the visual display unit using a menu structure.
In one refinement of the invention, the visual display unit is arranged separately from its associated manual operating device, for example, outside the driver's reach, with the associated manual operating device being arranged centrally within the driver's reach (for example, in the center console between the seats or in a door lining).
The manual operating means, which is associated with the visual display unit, may be in the form of a touch-sensitive contact area and/or an operating element with a plurality of degrees of freedom, for adjustment purposes, for example.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.